A jihadi group occupying the Syrian town of Raqqa recently gave Christian minorities living there three choices: 1) convert to Islam; 2) remain Christian but pay tribute and accept third-class subject status; or 3) die by the sword.

According to the BBC, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria issued a directive:

[The directive cites] the Islamic concept of “dhimma,” [which] requires Christians in the city to pay tax of around half an ounce (14g) of pure gold in exchange for their safety. It says Christians must not make renovations to churches, display crosses or other religious symbols outside churches, ring church bells or pray in public. Christians must not carry arms, and must follow other rules imposed by ISIS (also known as ISIL) on their daily lives. The statement said the group had met Christian representatives and offered them three choices — they could convert to Islam, accept ISIS’ conditions, or reject their control and risk being killed. “If they reject, they are subject to being legitimate targets, and nothing will remain between them and ISIS other than the sword,” the statement said.

Because several Western media outlets uncharacteristically reported on this latest atrocity against Syrian Christians, many Westerners are now shocked and amazed to hear of such draconian conditions.

In reality, however, these three choices are fully grounded in Islamic teachings, as shall be demonstrated below.

Why is the West, especially in the “information age,” utterly if not abhorrently ignorant of the teachings of Islam? Because those responsible for making such knowledge available — specifically academia, media, and government — are more interested in whitewashing Islam and bemoaning Islamophobia (see pgs. 219-249 of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians for specifics).

Western Dissembling

A symbolic example of this situation: around the same time that news of jihadis subjugating and extorting jizya-money from Syrian Christians appeared, the Saudi-funded Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding at Georgetown University held a seminar discussing how Islam is misunderstood and being demonized by so-called “Islamophobes.”

I have direct experience of this. Many years ago as a graduate student at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, my interest in medieval Islamic history, Sharia, and jihad received askance looks from professors — not least because most classes offered were about the evils of colonialism and Orientalism, or Islamic “feminism.”

The same situation existed when I worked at the African and Middle Eastern Division of the Library of Congress, a governmental institution; there, our conferences regularly focused on the purported achievements of Islamic civilization.

Also around the same time that jihadis were giving Christians the three classic choices of Islam — conversion, subjugation, or death — a delegation of Syrian Christian clergy came to the Senate Arms Services Committee meeting room to offer testimony concerning the sufferings of Syria’s Christians:

Sen. John McCain marched into the committee room yelling, according to a high-level source that attended the meeting, and quickly stormed out. “He was incredibly rude,” the source told Judicial Watch “because he didn’t think the Syrian church leaders should even be allowed in the room.” Following the shameful tantrum McCain reentered the room and sat briefly but refused to make eye contact with the participants, instead ignoring them by looking down at what appeared to be random papers. The outburst was so embarrassing that Senator Graham, also an advocate of U.S. military intervention in Syria, apologized for McCain’s disturbing outburst. “Graham actually apologized to the group for McCain’s behavior,” according to the source, who sat through the entire meeting. “It was truly unbelievable.”

Less dramatic but equally revealing, CIA chief John Brennan recently declared that the ideology of those offering Christians three choices is “a perverse and very corrupt interpretation of the Koran,” one that has “hijacked” Islam and “really distorted the teachings of Muhammad.”

If the attempts to suppress the reality of Christian suffering under Islam by academia, media, and government were not enough, months and years back — when the plight of Syria’s Christians was becoming known — even random (but supposedly nonbiased and independent) think tanks and writers also tried to suppress it.

Is it any wonder, then, that Christians in Syria being offered three choices — Islam, subjugation, or death — is mindboggling to the average person in the West, appearing as a wild aberration?

"Less dramatic but equally revealing, CIA chief John Brennan recently declared that the ideology of those offering Christians three choices is “a perverse and very corrupt interpretation of the Koran,” one that has “hijacked” Islam and “really distorted the teachings of Muhammad.”"

Simple question, if this interpretation of islam really is incorrect, has the clergy in saudi arabia ever issued a joint fatwa saying so, and stating that those who follow this interpretation of islam are heritics, and any muslim who gives money to them is also a heritic. If not, then Brennan is an islamic apoligist spouting BS.

Meanwhile, in the US Christians are also being told to keep their religion in churches. Sure, nobody is being beheaded, but the modern progressive believes that religion should stay out of the public square; that religion is only worship, but not a way of life; that the best religion is that which is not seen or heard. Americans are forced to supply abortifacients, against their religious conscience; they are forced to provide services to activities (such as gay marriage) in a way that makes them complicit in sin (by their beliefs). Tolerance, these days, means "do what I say or you will be labeled intolerant!"

Unless, of course, one is Muslim, in which case special dispensation is made in public facilities at the same time that crosses are torn down from public squares. The policers of tolerance are cowards.

The US doesn't have dhimmitude, but it is no longer a place of religious tolerance.

People of The Book turn the other cheek and try to find the best in others. They behave in a mannered, genteel and formal decorous fashion. Radicals blow things up, plot overthrows, slander, lie, rape the information stream and propagandize the entire culture.

The theater of warfare for hearts and minds therefore consists of People of The Book doing a swell job of slamming their chins into radical fists and hurling their groins against radical knees.

Maybe it's time we get up off the kneelers and step away from the Wailing Wall and defend our right to exist free from radical brutality, sedition, treason and tyranny. I know the isolationists love to roll over and play dead. Pretty soon all that practice will come in handy for the real thing. Christians "over there", who the hell cares...right? And Jews....well, it goes without saying what the isolationists think of them.

You cannot use simple negotiating tactics against radical religious fundamentalists, true believers. They do not play by your rules. They are prepared to die for the cause. You must deal with the core faith and try to understand, then figure out what to do next to defeat them.

What Christian Arabs need is an Israel of their own. I do not see this happening. What will happen, and is going on, is an Exodus. We know this from demographics for decades now.

I assume that the People of the Book here does not refer to the other People of the Book who right now are defending and fighting along every front. Go to the Golan or Gaza border today. A Christian of any denomination has far more security and freedom in Israel than anywhere else in the hostile Middle East. That does not come cheap or easy.,,

Because several Western media outlets uncharacteristically reported on this latest atrocity against Syrian Christians, many Westerners are now shocked and amazed to hear of such draconian conditions.

They are shocked to learn traditional Islamic practices that have been going on for over a thousand years? Don't people ever learn history anymore? Many of those "peaceful" and "tolerant" Islamic societies that Islamophiles like to laud were so because half the non-Islamic population had died in the process of making it peaceful and tolerant.

America treasures the relationship we have with our many Muslim friends, and we respect the vibrant faith of Islam which inspires countless individuals to lead lives of honesty, integrity, and morality. This year, may Eid also be a time in which we recognize the values of progress, pluralism, and acceptance that bind us together as a Nation and a global community. By working together to advance mutual understanding, we point the way to a brighter future for all.

Most admitted have special skills in medicine, engineering, business, science, IT, economy, or something. Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran ...I have worked with highly trained professionals from all of those places. They are never going back. Big loss for the Jihadis who are left with no talent or ability to launch a modern economy.

The true believer jihadis can blow things up and kill, but that is the limit of their skill set. They cannot build a country. That is a weakness to be exploited.

There is no need to generate any special exemptions for Muslims here other than the same ones we give to other religious groups. We should give exactly the same considerations and nothing more. Religious freedom is a core American value, it is a strength as much as the f-16, we should not give that up.

"There is no need to generate any special exemptions for Muslims here other than the same ones we give to other religious groups."

You just wait until there are enough of them in our midst & watch as they exert a burgeoning degree of pressure to have elements of shariah law implemented. It's already happening in places around our country. Exhibit A: Dearborn, Michigan. Research it.

McCain's outbursts need to be filmed and shown on TV and on the internet. If he survives with a one-off excuse and an apology we keep putting them out there until he gets recalled in an election, impeached or defeated in election.